derry

I went today. A much improved performance and shape. Firstly they all tried hard. Armstrong ran himself into the ground, cramp at the end. Ings finished brilliantly both his chances. A super leading ball across the defender for the first, inch perfect chip from Redmond for the lobbed header, keeper didn't move. Valery played well but is still finding his feet. He needs a bit more confidence to go for the line when he gets the chance. The three centre backs were up against it with Arsenals's slick, quick forwards but worked hard and effectively. Target great cross but not enough. He gave the ball away too many times when not under pressure. Struggles with pace. Armstrong, Hojbjerg and Romeu worked their socks off but they need to learn when to cut out the tippy tappy that puts us under pressure when we are closed down. Ings and Redmond worked hard and caused Arsenal problems. Long played well, defended, broke, won headers and made a super run down the right channel for Hoijberg's through ball to provide a super cross that pulled the keeper off his line which Austin finished clinically. One thing they are going to have to learn. In the last ten minutes 3-2 up they could see the finishing line so didn't dither on the ball, clearing long straight away. Long really put his boot through one that went miles but it sure takes the pressure off, especially if the ball is in the back of the stand. Dithering gets us caught out. Just clear it out towards the corners and let the forwards chase it. We aren't clever or slick enough to play pretty patterns under pressing in front of our box.

Interestingly he has scored 16 goals so far this season. Last night he looked like he was playing up front centrally. we mostly played him on the right and got not a lot out of him.

Steven Davis couldn't press a pair of trousers. He never tackles head on, always slows up making sure he doesn't have to, pulls out if there is any chance of contact and presses from too far away allowing the opponent to bypass him. As for tracking mostly goes halfway then has his head in his hands after the player he stopped tracking scores. He's out of contract on 30th June.

Since lists were taken I'll bet. Terry Paine laid on more goals in his 700 ish games than anyone on the list. He was the most accurate crosser of a ball I've ever seen. Steven Davis not even in the same class. Ron Davies used to get better than twenty goals a season from his crosses alone. The team used to score anything between eighty and a hundred a year. You did also say All time not EPL.

Maybe his problem is the indoctrination by Puel and Pellegrino regarding the holy grail of possession at all costs. Hoedt, Bertrand, Targett, Bednerek, Soares, Stephens and Yoshida all have been caught in possession through not clearing it. Yoshida was at fault against MU, tried to take possession and lost the ball instead of kicking it away, and for Herrera's goal tried not to give a corner away and tried to flick a boot at it. Hughes obviously didn't do anything about that. Maybe now Hasenhuttl will get them to put their boot through it if there is the slightest danger then hunt it down in a pack in midfield or up front to get it back. Years ago when I was doing my pilot training, All Nippon pilots were trained there and I remember there was a major criticism of the Japanese mentality due to a widespread lack of flexibility. They were brilliant at learning by numbers but hopeless at using their initiative, which caused problems when presented with unusual or multiple failures during training. In other words they do as they are told rigidly.

It's not Austin to run the channels, it's Hojbjerg, Lamina, Armstrong, Redmond etc that need to get up quickly I bet we'll see a difference shortly with all of them getting up front quickly. It's not Rocket science, Revie had Leeds doing it in the sixties. They have to start hunting in packs not just one poor bastard in between three while the other players back off or spectate.

We need a fans end to be full of noisy fans. The away fans between the Northam and Itchen North neutralise that end. It needs both the Northam Saints and Itchen North to be linked.

I watched a 6' 7" centre back yesterday allow a much shorter player continually back into him and stop him from winning the ball. The man is either chicken, dopey or both. what he should have done was back off then get a run and jump. If the forward still tries to back in and block, make him by your actions aware that there is a lot of pain coming. Nothing concentrates the mind more than the thought of 14 stone clattering into your back. Fonte did that effectively and he wasn't the biggest but he was brave. The legacy that came from Les Reed then carried out by Puel and Pellegrino that possession was the all important criteria has destroyed our ability to defend. Recently we have conceded goals that could have been easily prevented by belting the ball away from the danger area, however our players want to pass no matter what. Some of the passes we make are ridiculous and so short the ball can only go backwards and sideways. Yesterday we had 67% possession practically no penetration, only a couple of half chances. Not much of that possession was in the last third. Our defenders need to safety first it out of the danger area and stop fart arseing around with tippy tappy back to the keeper as he is going to mostly belt it anyway so why pass back. Had Vestergaard belted the ball yesterday there was no goal.

Vestergaard is an international, WHAT!!!!!. Who the hell signed him. Carillo. Boufal, etc. Any Saints fan seeing them before they signed would have said, either too slow, can't jump, greedy, too small, etc etc don't even think about it. Yet we rubbished the best part of £100m on crap.Black box, Les Reed, Ross Wilson are incompetent. Any fool can see that Soares is too small, Targett is dopey and slow, Hojbjerg tries hard but creates nothing, Lamina needs to do his tricks in the penalty area, Bednerek is work in progress, Armstrong, Redmond and Austin received the ball too late. Stephens needs a kicking to wake him up. Decent defender with an aversion to putting his foot through the ball when needed. We had that point in the bag until we committed suicide with pitty patty at the back and Vestergaard's attempt at a back pass was just one of loads of similar errors misplacing passes when under no pressure. McCarthy hardly had a save to make. I have a feeling they are going to get what they deserve this coming week.

I had this thought earlier, looked it up and he is playing in a back four with Poland.

OS says Soares injured

A lot more backbone in this team. I can see where he is going.

I can see them pressing a lot harder and tightening up at the back. Yoshida's waving his foot at the ball won't cut it. Anybody that doesn't play hard will be on their bikes out of the squad. That message won't take long to sink in. He says that is this weeks priority.

It's the ****ing zonal marking that none of them understand. All of them standing around in their box while the attackers are free to move around while they look at each other and do nothing. Although against United he failed to tackle ruthlessly but waved a foot at the ball allowing two goals. Targett frigging about last night a la Bertrand v Everton and Hoedt recently, stick it in row Z FFS.

I think it was reported they were all scheduled in in the morning for a recovery session but Hasenhuttl (Haasenhoootle he says) changed it to have everyone in in the afternoon.

I like this man, don't let the smile fool you. I can see a ruthless man that will very quickly without having to yell etc, put the fear of God up the players. Woe betide anybody that doesn't measure up. I can see a couple of sacrificial lambs made an example of, then watch out. There is a touch of Fergie about him. If I'm right we won't go down. It'll be 'my way or the highway'.

This team is the antithesis of a pressing team. It will do exactly the opposite to Hasenhuttl's reported philosophy.

This could be the end for Davis and JWP. It's a crap lightweight team and it will get murdered in midfield. Eriksen will have a field day. Davis won't mark or tackle and JWP is too slow and a powderpuff tackler. It could be the forwards won't get a kick. I could be proved an idiot but I think Kelvin Davis is a fool or a genius. I don't think he is a genius. Managers manage and see the balance, coaches put out the cones and run the sessions. Romeu must have upset somebody or is bailing out in January.

What a load of rubbish. I watched every game Boufal played for us and being sent out on loan reflected his usual level of underperformance. Redmond I hated with a vengeance, he was awful and his attitude sucked. This year he is having a go, taking people on and doing his best, Boufal didn't look as though he was ever that bothered. As for nationality, who cares, I don't. As a retired airline captain, I travelled the world and found arseholes and nice people wherever I went.

Thank goodness for that. Hopefully no more 50% of passes made in our half whilst inviting the opposition to sit back in numbers and snuff us out then hitting us on the break. Hopefully it will be what it says on the tin. Lose the ball, swarm in and get it back in 10 secs and get it forward quickly. Get the overload quickly. that's my type of football. Man City keep the ball but win it back quickly but last night they didn't half look vulnerable with Watford swarming all over them and getting the ball in quickly forcing City to defend desperately for the last ten minutes. I think there are going to be some falling by the wayside. I can see the press being in your face not Wenger style, float about ten yards from the opponent. Davis and JWP in particular being poor tacklers and pressers could be the first.

What, after he's tried to beat the same player for the third time. The goal against WBA was outstanding, the goal against Sunderland was classic but we saw far too much stand around spectating. I often thought it's a good job they don't have pockets in the shorts. For £17m we got nothing like the value out of him, a cameo player. If he had pace he never took on players directly. At least Redmond is taking people on, going at defenders and getting stuck in rather than passing back to the full back. He looks like he has finally got the message, It's a shame his shot was in the middle of the goal allowing De Gea to save. either side it was in the net. Need more shooting like that.

How many from open play? Both took free kicks and penalties.

It's not just Hughes. Last season we were dead and buried in March but Hughes came in and faced initially top of the table teams and we struggled for points but we did enough to stay up. Credit to him for that. This season we brought in more players. Ings looks a decent signing but he was a no brainer and didn't need a black box to identify because he wanted to come home and besides prove a point after being released as a kid. My feeling is that Les Reed was the main problem. Boufal, Carillo, Elyanoussi, Vestergaard, etc all players that lacked pace. Apart from Long, Redmond we are a very slow team. Buying a cheap lightweight small right back was ridiculous. Apart from the number of crosses that hit nobody because he never looks up I've lost count of the number of goals that are given away on his post as bigger players pull off onto him. Reed seemed to love the bull**** that was generated by the spin doctors, the Southampton way, We march on, the black box etc, how did that work out. Slow players and two managers that were so negative it completely changed how we played. Poor game, 40% possession won, great game 70% possession and lost. trouble was most of the possession was keep ball in the back five. It's a fundamental fact, slow players can't live in the Premier. We even buy a ponderous 6' 6" centre back that can't jump and doesn't dominate in the air. Hughes was let down in the summer. Armstrong was good but didn't need the black box he was well known to most people who keep an eye on Celtic. In future we have to make it a must that players recruited are quick as defenders or attackers and at least in midfield have good acceleration and change of pace and can see a pass. We have too many that ignore the runners and pass sideways and backwards. The criteria has to be players that risk the killer pass, if the ball is lost then swarm all over the opposition in numbers and get it back. That's how Poch played, that was the Southampton way, hopefully that's how Hasenhuttl sees it too. Puel, Pellegrino and Hughes played the way they knew, not the developed Southampton way under Poch. Koeman did it his way but he brought in the players that worked, Mane, Pelle and Tadic etc. Reed bragged about the Southampton way but that was rubbish. Each manager he signed up didn't suit or buy into the philosophy. Consequently we ended up within two years of flawed recruitment with a team messed about with no style, philosophy or pace. Let's get back to Pace, Press, and high tempo. Then never take on another manager who doesn't fit that. That was Reed's problem, lots of spin but the actions proved otherwise.

Only Lamina has 5 and a one match suspension. Hojbjerg and Soares have 4. Bertrand has 5 but has served his suspension. Personally if Bertrand comes back I'd keep Valery and leave Soares out as he has been defensively poor. as for the free kick, lightning won't strike twice. Hughes said he was surprised because in practice he isn't very good, like his crossing. In any case Targett should be clear by then.

Yoshida had the chance to tackle for both goals. For the first he was shrugged off by Rashford Shoulder to shoulder, a stupid decision he should have block tackled the ball. Second goal he pulled out again and let Rashford get his cross past him. Both Stephens and Vestergaard need a kick in the pants. Both of them on occasions needed to rapidly get back goalside but chose to watch and do nothing. A defender has to assume that his colleague will be beaten and get back to cover, rather than assume it's all going to be alright. Hojbjerg too many times as did others make too many five yard passes mostly causing us to lose the ball as play tightened up. Hojbjerg also needs a kick in the pants, when one of the forwards especially Armstrong makes a run he has to get the ball up to them immediately rather than check out and ignore the runs. Lamina has good skills but as with Hojbjerg he has to drive into the box. Valery deserves another go, a lovely crunching tackle. I hope Bertrand is fit which will give us more on the left. Cedric did his best in a strange position but is a poor defender. Great free kick. Redmond showed the way with tempo and running at defenders, gave Obefemi the ball to lay off for Armstrong's special goal across De Gea. Armstrong looks a good player. Ings will improve things with him. All in all an encouraging display, cut out the errors, get ruthless and don't dwell on the ball in our last third, if in doubt hit the corners. Better in the second half and consideration to the three centre backs who haven't had any game time for a while until last Tuesday. They need time to bed in and get used to the pace etc. There is a platform to move forward. McCarthy, what the hell was that air shot. As for McTominey holding on to him. He should have gripped his arm and rolled hard across him probably dislocating his arm. probably got a free kick. Having said that the useless Kevin Friend should have booked him immediately as he was blocking the keeper. Fellaini should have gone for the multiple use of his arm and hand across the opponents face.